Summary

For courses in Classical Mythology in Classics, English, or other departments.Comprehensive and scholarly, this well-designed and class-tested text presents Greek and Roman myths in a lively and easy-to-read manner. It features fresh translations, numerous illustrations (ancient and modern) of classical myths and legends, and commentary that emphasizes the anthropological, historical, religious, sociological, and economic contexts in which the myths were told.

Table of Contents

Preface

xix

PART I Definitions and Background

The Nature of Myth

1

(13)

What is a Myth?

2

(2)

Types of Myth

4

(6)

Divine Myth

4

(3)

Legend

7

(2)

Folktale

9

(1)

The Study of Myth

10

(4)

The Cultural Context of Classical Myth

14

(33)

Greek Geography

14

(4)

Greek History

18

(10)

The Early/Middle Bronze Age (3000--1600 B.C.)

19

(1)

The Mycenaean Age (1600--1200 B.C.)

20

(1)

The Dark Age (1200--800 B.C.)

21

(1)

The Archaic Period (800--480 B.C.)

22

(2)

The Classical Period (480--323 B.C.)

24

(3)

The Hellenistic Period (323--31 B.C.)

27

(1)

Greek Society

28

(14)

Men

28

(5)

Women

33

(5)

Slavery

38

(1)

Religion

39

(1)

Beliefs and Customs

40

(2)

Greece and Rome

42

(5)

The Development of Classical Myth

47

(25)

The Beginnings of Greek Myth

47

(4)

The Influence of Near Eastern Myth

51

(8)

Sumerian Myth

52

(4)

Semitic Myth

56

(2)

Other Sources

58

(1)

Greek Myth in the Archaic Period

59

(3)

Greek Myth in the Classical Period

62

(4)

Greek Myth in the Hellenistic Period

66

(1)

The Roman Appropriation of Greek Myth

67

(5)

PART II Divine Myths

Myths of Creation: The Rise of Zeus

72

(34)

The Children of Chaos

72

(3)

The Children of Gaea: The Titans and Their Cousins

75

(4)

The Titans

75

(2)

Cyclopes, Hecatonchires

77

(1)

Hyperion's Children: Sun, Moon, Dawn

77

(2)

Cronus Against Uranus

79

(5)

The Birth of Aphrodite, Monsters, and Sea Deities

80

(4)

Zeus Against Cronus: The Battle With the Titans

84

(4)

Zeus's Battle With Typhoeus

88

(2)

Zeus's Battle With the Giants

90

(2)

Prominent Themes in the Greek Creation Story

92

(2)

Eastern Creation Stories

94

(12)

Observations: The Succession Myth in Hesiod and the Near East

101

(5)

Myths of Creation: The Origins of Mortals

106

(28)

Prometheus, Maker of Mortals

106

(2)

The Sumerian Creation of Man from Mud

107

(1)

Prometheus, Protector of Mortals

108

(4)

Pandora

112

(8)

Observations: Women as Containers

117

(3)

The Five Races

120

(3)

The Universal Flood

123

(6)

Ziusudra, Atrahasis, and Noah

123

(2)

Lycaon, Deucalion, and Pyrrha

125

(4)

Prominent Themes in Greek Stories of Human Origins

129

(5)

Myths of the Olympian Gods: Zeus and Hera

134

(17)

Zeus, Lord of the Sky

136

(8)

Hera, Queen of Heaven

144

(3)

Zeus and Hera at Home on Olympus

147

(4)

Observations: Greek Anthropomorphism

149

(2)

Myths of the Olympian Gods: The Male Deities

151

(41)

Poseidon, Lord of the Deep

152

(2)

Hades, King of the Dead

154

(1)

Apollo the Far-Darter, God of Prophecy

154

(16)

The Birth of Apollo on Delos

157

(2)

Apollo at Delphi

159

(3)

Observations: The Delphic Oracle

162

(2)

Apollo's Unhappy Loves

164

(4)

Observations: Apollo, God of Shamans

168

(2)

Hephaestus, God of Smiths

170

(2)

Ares, Incarnation of Blood Lust

172

(3)

Hermes, Trickster God of Way Farers

175

(17)

Pan, The Goathered's God

190

(2)

Myths of the Olympians: The Female Deities

192

(24)

Demeter, Mistress of Wheat

193

(1)

Hestia, The Hearth

193

(11)

Aphrodite, Goddess of Sexual Love

193

(2)

Hermaphroditus and Priapus

195

(1)

Pygmalion

195

(3)

Aphrodite and Anchises

198

(6)

Artemis, Mistress of Animals

204

(6)

Orion, Actaeon, and Callisto

207

(3)

Athena, Mistress of the City

210

(6)

Arachne

213

(3)

Myths of Fertility: Demeter and the Great Goddess

216

(32)

Inanna and Dumuzi

217

(3)

Observations: The Dying God and the Sacred Marriage

220

(1)

Isis and Osiris

220

(4)

Cybele and Attis

224

(2)

Aphrodite and Adonis

226

(3)

Demeter and Persephone

229

(15)

Observations: The Myth of Demeter and Persephone

241

(3)

The Eleusinian Mysteries

244

(4)

Myths of Fertility: Dionysus

248

(35)

The Birth and Early Youth of Dionysus

250

(1)

The Wanderings of Dionysus

251

(3)

Resistance to the God

254

(2)

Dionysus and the Pirates

256

(1)

Dionysus in Thebes

257

(14)

Dionysus' Journey to the Land of the Dead

271

(4)

Observations: The Myths of Dionysus

271

(4)

The Cult of Dionysus

275

(2)

Dionysus, God of the Theater

277

(6)

Myths of Death: Encounters with the Underworld

283

(30)

The Greek View of Death

283

(3)

Odysseus' Journey to Death's Realm

286

(9)

Plato's ``Myth'' of Er

295

(1)

Aeneas' Descent to the Underworld

296

(9)

Orpheus and Eurydice

305

(4)

Orphism

309

(4)

PART III Legends

Introduction to Heroic Myth

313

(9)

Gilgamesh and Enkidu

314

(1)

Gilgamesh and Humbaba

315

(1)

Gilgamesh and Ishtar

316

(4)

The Quest for Eternal Life

318

(1)

Observation: The Hero Caught Between Nature and Culture

319

(1)

Folktale Motifs in Heroic Myths

320

(2)

Perseus and Myths of the Argive Plain

322

(23)

Io and Her Descendants

323

(6)

The Wanderings of Io

323

(4)

The Crimes of the Danaids

327

(1)

Observations: Springs and the Dangers of Woman

328

(1)

The Legend of Perseus

329

(16)

Danae and the Shower of Gold

329

(3)

Perseus the Gorgon-slayer

332

(3)

Perseus and Andromeda

335

(4)

The Death of Acrisius

339

(1)

Observations: Perseus and Folktale

339

(3)

Medusa's Head

342

(3)

Heracles

345

(38)

The Birth of Heracles

346

(5)

Observations: Twins and Divine Birth

349

(2)

Heracles' Youthful Deeds

351

(3)

Marriage, Madness, and Murder

354

(2)

The Twelve Labors

356

(15)

Observations: Heracles' Labors

368

(3)

Various Deeds

371

(1)

The Death of Heracles

372

(7)

The Return of the Heraclids

379

(4)

Observations: Heracles Kallinikos, ``Handsome in Victory''

379

(4)

Theseus and the Myths of Athens

383

(35)

Cecrops, Erichthonius, and the Daughters of Cecrops

383

(5)

Observations: The Festival of the Dew Carriers

385

(3)

Procris and Cephalus

388

(3)

Procne and Tereus

391

(6)

Observations: Ovid's Literary Myth

396

(1)

Theseus

397

(21)

The Begetting of Theseus

397

(1)

The Labors of Theseus

398

(2)

Arrival at Athens, Bacchylides 18

400

(2)

Theseus and Antiope

402

(1)

Observations: The Amazons

403

(1)

Theseus and Hippolytus

404

(7)

Observations: The Folktale of ``Potiphar's Wife''

411

(1)

The Exploits of Theseus and Pirithous

412

(2)

The Death of Theseus

414

(1)

Observations: Myth and Propaganda

414

(4)

The Myths of Crete

418

(26)

Europa and the Bull

419

(2)

Minos and Pasiphae

421

(5)

Minos and Scylla

426

(1)

Theseus and Amphitrite

426

(3)

Theseus and the Minotaur

429

(3)

Daedalus and Icarus

432

(2)

The Death of Minos

434

(2)

Observations: Archaeology and Cretan Myth

436

(8)

Oedipus and the Myths of Thebes

444

(29)

The Founding of Thebes: Cadmus and the Dragon

444

(8)

The Twins Amphion and Zethus

449

(1)

Observations: The Two Foundings of Thebes

450

(2)

Oedipus the King

452

(7)

Observations: Heroic Sufferer for Truth---Or Victim of Curiosity?

458

(1)

The Seven Against Thebes

459

(8)

Oedipus at Colonus

460

(3)

Tydeus at Thebes

463

(1)

The Battle before Thebes

463

(4)

Sophocles' Antigone

467

(3)

Observations: Revenge of the Parthenos

469

(1)

The Epigoni

470

(3)

Jason and the Myths of Iolcus and Calydon

473

(36)

Prelude to the Argonautica

474

(3)

Phrixus, Helle, and the Golden Fleece

474

(1)

Pelias and Aeson

475

(2)

The Voyage of the Argo

477

(12)

Early Adventures

478

(2)

Phineus and the Harpies

480

(1)

The Symplegades

481

(1)

Medea and the Golden Fleece

482

(5)

Libya

487

(1)

Observations: Jason, the Deflated Hero

487

(2)

After the Voyage of the Argo

489

(11)

The Death of Pelias

489

(1)

Jason and Medea in Corinth

490

(9)

Observations: Medea, Sorceress and Wife

499

(1)

The Calydonian Boar Hunt

500

(9)

Observations: Heroic Myths of the Hunt and the Hunter

506

(3)

The Trojan War: The House of Atreus; The Anger of Achilles

509

(36)

The House of Atreus

510

(3)

Pelops, Oenomaus, and Hippodamia

510

(1)

The Banquet of Thyestes

511

(2)

The House of Tyndareus

513

(3)

Leda and the Swan; The Dioscuri

513

(1)

The Oath of Tyndareus

514

(2)

The Wedding of Peleus and Thetis

516

(2)

The Judgment of Paris

518

(2)

The Trojan War

520

(11)

The Gathering at Aulis

520

(2)

The Journey to Troy

522

(3)

Helen on the Wall

525

(2)

The Anger of Achilles

527

(4)

Hector and Andromache

531

(14)

The Embassy to Achilles

534

(4)

The Death of Hector

538

(4)

Observations: Homer, Inventor of Plot and Character

542

(3)

The Trojan War: The Fall of Troy; The Return of Agamemnon

545

(21)

The Greeks at Troy

545

(1)

The Judgment of the Arms of Achilles

545

(10)

The Trojan Horse

548

(3)

The Fall of Troy

551

(4)

Agamemnon's Return

555

(11)

The Murder of Agamemnon

557

(3)

Orestes' Revenge

560

(2)

The Trial of Orestes

562

(1)

Observations: A Parable of Progress

563

(3)

The Return of Odysseus

566

(29)

Odysseus' Journey from Troy

567

(16)

The Cicones and the Lotus Eaters

567

(1)

Polyphemus

567

(12)

Aeolus, the Laestrygonians, and Circe

579

(1)

Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis, The Cattle of Helius, and Calypso

580

(2)

Observations: Historical and Mythical Travel

582

(1)

Return to Ithaca

583

(12)

Phaeacia, Nausicaa

583

(2)

Ithaca, Argus, and Euryclea

585

(1)

Penelope, Telemachus, and the Suitors

586

(5)

Observations: Symbols of Rebirth in the Folktale of the Man Who Came Home, Tested by Woman and the World